Lowell; Massachusetts; stands apart as an exceptional city. Bursting onto the scene in the 1820s; Lowell quickly became the workshop of America; powered by the mighty Merrimack River and staffed by tens of thousands of immigrants. Even as the mill era faded; people from around the world kept coming to live and work in Lowell. In the 1970s; community leaders imagined a new Lowell built on its legendary past and echoing its early innovation; a renewed city that is now a global model for urban revitalization. Since then; more than 400 buildings have been preserved; and the city has become a hub of higher education; a center for the arts; and home to a National Historical Park. This remarkable transformation has been fueled by the cultural vitality of its people; which is continuously refreshed by new arrivals from every corner of the globe.
#329563 in eBooks 2009-10-13 2008-05-08File Name: B00192MNO4
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Like almost all my classmates I revered the great modern ...By David E. Eppenstein. Jr.When I was 18 I entered college to study architecture. Like almost all my classmates I revered the great modern architects. Sullivan. Wright. Mies. and Le Corbusier. Unlike my classmates I was also fascinated by history and this fascination and my love of architecture led to a journey of discovery. During that journey I developed a fondness for the symmetry. stability. and rhythms of Renaissance architecture. Then I found Borromini and Bernini and the sensuality and dynamism of their forms and I fell in love. In light of this I am probably not a good judge of the general appeal of this book. It is long on architectural descriptions and critically short on needed illustrations and photographs. A picture is worth a thousand words and a book on the work of any architect requires my illustration that verbalization. This is the one fault of this book otherwise it is an excellent treatment of the lives and works of these two incomparable artists.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Excellent narrative history. but needs more pictures.By Sarah UrsusThis was a fantastic read both with respect to the history of 17th century Rome. the background of the buildings which both Bernini and Borromini worked on. and the other figures involved. The ingenious narrative will. after discussing a certain issue. backtrack just a bit. like highlighting an issue but then focusing on the brighter details. as Morrissey will do with his careful descriptions of architecture. All in all. fascinating. historically astute. giving important history but not overwhelming you with every detail of every building. I would have given it 4 stars. but there are simply not enough pictures. which makes it difficult when we are reading descriptions of the architectural effects. and we have to imagine it without seeing the artists effect. What is more boring than "let me tell you about a painting!".0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I would now like to visit them to appreciate the scholarly nature of ...By Suanne HuffmanIt was very informative. but for my tastes. it was a bit difficult. I dont know many of the churches and other buildings Bernini and Borromini designed. but Im sure they are lovely. I would now like to visit them to appreciate the scholarly nature of the book. The background about all the Popes and their needs for spectacular. costly tombs shows how controlling the Catholic Church was. especially then.
